Wardens of Light
The Wardens of Light represent an exotic arm of the Legiones Astartes. For every Warden has the potential to become a Pariah of varying strength, whose powers are contained by a masque capable of restraining their nature. With this tool, the Wardens of Light have turned their natures into a surgical weapon, emulating their ways of war. Moving with expert precision, the Wardens of Light seek to overwhelm their enemies with unearthly skill as they initiate complex military maneuvers to strike their enemies from several angles, collapsing the enemy's resistance. With an unusual streak of pacifism, Gwalchavad is a forgiving soul, attempting to integrate the lost colonies of Man as bloodlessly as possible. Fate, in turn, would not spare this idealistic soul from the cruelty of a brother's dagger. Origins and History 'Apostles of War' The Apostles of War were the XIIth Legion created and fought many battles during the Terran Unification Wars. Testing the experimental proto-Power Armour Mark 1 in combination with the use of jump packs on the field, the Apostles were famous for their fast approach and skill in close combat. Like maniacs they hurled themselves into the air and crashed down on the enemy lines cleaving their way through the ranks with gigantic two handed powerswords. It must be irony of history, that the early Apostles were known for their swordskills, the weapon their later brothers from Caerbannog will despise for it's single purpose to kill. Equipped with Imperial Greatswords, a variant of a two handed Power Sword, and as big as a man, the Apostles pierced through enemy lines, hacking and sweeping their foes aside. A typical strategy of the Apostles was to advance with their assault and gun most of the enemies down with a salvo of bolterfire and heavy weapons, using the power armors as shields, and then the swords would destroy the rest of enemy resistance. Many Apostles were recruited from Basquia, Kreolia, Fronk and Hispana and even today the Wardens of Light draw their Terran recruits primarily from those regions. Is it out of tradition or because people of those regions tend to be hotblooded and balance the more cold blooded Caerbannogi recruits? This will remain a secret of their primarch. The Apostles earned their Name, because they were known to arrive first and leave last on any battlefield and During the Siege of Kief, the Apostles finished the their bloody craft, before the main troops of the Emperor even set foot on the battlefield. And thus the Emperor called them his Apostels of War. The greatest among those aspirants was a young Man, gifted with tactical genius, enough charisma to outmatch any other Astartes the Apostels had to offer and the right skill with the sword. This Man was called Guaire Amalasan, and he quickly became Legion Master. He was able to read a battle and make the right decisions when needed. But as men are only mere mortals, they all had their flaws and Guaire Amalasan was no exception. Seeing himself invulnerable for his skills, over the time he became arrogant and to self assured. Something which should lead the legion on the brink of destruction. 'Across the Stars' Although one of the twelve original legions who fought on Terra, the Apostles took their time to enter the Great Crusade. It was only known to the Emperor why He held them back. Some suspected it had something to do with heavily injured marines who survived, but changed significantly afterwards. It later became known, that those "others" awakened some gift from their unknown father and became pariahs and therefore were researched upon this unusual trait. Thsse marines were locked away and this is a reason that the Legion had no Dreadnoughts and also today field only a few. The legion's unrest grew and after they were allowed to enter the great crusade, they unleashed themselves upon the enemies of mankind, just in time to free Segmentum Solar from the dangers that awaited them. They wiped Pluto from a KI Power, and old leftover of the Dark Age and helped to defeat scary mutants on Uranus, who adapted themselves to the gas atmosphere. After the Segmentum Solar was pacified, the legions aimed for the galaxy and there waited other threats. 'Disaster on Batu' When Guaire Amalasan made a terrible mistake in battle planning and underestimated an Ork Waagh!, the Apostles of War would have been destroyed, if not for the heroic deeds of Arngrim Valten and the young Brothers Dumah & Cervantes de Leon. Thanks to them, the Wardens held the Green Flood long enough at bay, until the Eagle Warriors broke through and saved the day. 'Rebuilding a Legion' With Guaire Amalasan stepped down from command, the Apostles of War struggle to rebuilt themselves and find their way back to past glories for the first years of the Great Crusade. But the young generations would eventually take control of the legion. 'The Origin of Light' 'The Cold of War' When the Primarchs were spirited away from the Emperor's gene-labs under the Himalazian Mountains by the powers of the vile Chaos Gods, the gestation pod containing the XIIth primarch was damaged in the process, allowing inhabitants of the warp access into the young primarch's sanctuary. Burning with red hot fire, he plunged into the depths of the warp. Unspeakable pain and relentless agony made it feel like time ceased to exist for the young primarch as countless daemons fed on him. The continuous torture deepened his hatred of the fate that damned him to this hell. After what seemed like an eternity passed, when all seemed lost, a white light emerged from the infant primarch's eyes as the pariah powers implanted by the Emperor awakened, burning through the denizens of the warp and tearing a hole into the Immaterium, ending the agony and bringing the infant back from the precipice of madness. The infant Primarch landed on the far western boarder of the known galaxy, on Caerbannog. A planet of rare structure, consisting not of landmasses surrounded by seas, but of islands and continents drifting in the skies. Thick layers of clouds hid the inner core of the world. The cause of this state was heavily argued upon among the people of Caerbannog. Some speculated it must be the effect of long lost archeotech or incredibly powerful magic. Others saw them as evidence of powerful deities that wanted to reach the light of the sun and lifted the landmasses into the sky. Littered across surface of the floating continents were ruins from a distant past, holding within them the keys to technologies long forgotten and to unknown riches. Eventually, the humans who set foot on Caerbannog began to exploit these forgotten technologies. With fleets of primitive airships and proto-jumppacks, civilization spread across the face of the world, but soon splintered into smaller tribes fighting over riches from the ancient age. More and more ancient weapons were excavated from the dormant ruins, but power gave birth to ambition, and ambition to war. Nations declared war on neighboring lands, who had also discovered ancient weapons. The battles became epic struggles. And peace was a dream discarded for superiority over one another. These were indeed dark times and the peasants of Caerbannog prayed for a ray of light to end the time of constant wars and free people from the yoke of violence they were unable to escape. When the red comet of the incubation pod appeared over the skies of the shattered world, many inhabitants of Caerbannog did not realize that it announced the arrival of a son of the Master of Mankind. The incubation pod crashed near the capital of Boletaria, a relatively small and insignificant nation. The people of Boletaria suffered at the hands of their warmongering neighbours, as those conflicts often crossed over into the small state's borders. Living in constant peril from wars not their own, the rain turned red with the blood of innocents. When the infant Primarch emerged from the wreckage, his powerful pariah gaze wrought absolute havoc. Most who looked into his eyes lost their souls. Those unfortunate enough to survive the encounter spoke of unspeakable pain and fear, as something gripped their soul and tried to tear it from their body. Many peasants died on that day, and through what must have been sheer luck, the royal knights of Boletaria managed to capture the starchild. The queen of the tiny nation, Luiseach, a woman of remarkable intellect and ambition, having witnessed the destructive nature of the child, ordered her brightest scholars to find a way to utilize the boy as a weapon to defend Boletaria if war once again spilled over their borders. The rapidly growing boy was given an archeotech mask excavated from the ancient ruins, which would hide his eyes to protect the people around him from is pariah nature. As long as he wore the mask and concentrated on suppressing his powers he could stay in control. He was tutored in the arts of war and battle meditation the boletarians had cultivated over the centuries and when the ordained time finally came, the boy Primarch was unleashed upon the nemies and drove the hostile forces out of the land. Fueled by righteous hatred and combat stimulants, the boy quickly grew to manhood mastering all aspects of warfare his teachers had to offer. The Queen saw this as her chance to break from the insignificance and write her own destiny. The small country started to attack its neighbours and began conquering the floating lands of Caerbannog. With the wild primarch leading her army, the queen plotted to destabilize the surrounding countries. Utilizing airship cannons to shell shock the enemy, the Primarch would lay down a storm of explosions on the opposing armies before he and his troops hurled themselves towards enemy fortifications in suicidal maneuvers only equipped with jetpacks and twin blades. Having destroyed most defenses with brutal efficiency, the primarch unmasked himself in front of the remaining defendants holding their ground to sow terror in the enemies ranks and break their last resistance. Whenever a victory could not be achieved to weapon strength alone, Luiseach sent the primarch to assassinate those in command, leaving the enemies army without proper leaders. Blood flowed in deep crimson rivers wherever the boy went and left only trails of burning waste and corpses behind. With every victory the young Primarch, who the people had named Gwalchavad, felt that the tides were turning. The victories filled the queen with pride and she grew fond of her prized weapon, like a aristocrat growing fond of his successful attack hound. But after continuous attempts at her life the heart of Queen Luiseach hardened. The years passed and the Queen who only wanted to defend her homeland vanished, leaving Luiseach to become an ambitious and mistrustful ruler. Battle by battle the people of Boletaria had gone from the oppressed to the oppressors, conquering continent after continent. Always afraid of finding traitors around the next corner, Luiseach established a system of torture and cruelty to ensure that nobody will rise against her or question her legitimate reign. As the forces of Boletaria approached one of the last free city on Caerbannog, fate struck and Gwalchavad's airship was shot down from skies. He disappeared into the sea of clouds, further below the islands than any has ever returned from. Luiseach in her rage blamed the defenders, and sacked the city, slaughtering all residents as a warning to all that would dare to stand in her way. Seeker Squads were sent out to recover the Queen's prized weapon, but they always returned empty handed and as the years passed the hope of finding the primarch kept dwindling. However, after years of fruitless search one seeker squad finally managed to return with Gwalchavad at their side. However, the man that returned was no longer the same. 'The Warmth of Light' When Gwalchavad regained his consciousness he was alone. His ship had crashed and he was the sole survivor. Thick mist made it difficult to see further than a few metres. As the fog lifted slightly and the sun shined through, he realized that he stood amidst the remnants of an ancient city, now lost to time. Ruins and scarred earth told a sad story, everywhere around him Gwalchavad found the terrible traces of a war long past. The entire city was broken. More buildings had roofs fallen in than had them whole. Towers stood shattered, abrupt and jagged like broken sticks. Uneven mountains made of rubble could have been the remnants of palaces and blocks of the once proud city. Scattered everywhere, and preserved from the grasp of time bleached bones surrounded Gwalchavad, grinning skulls with hollow eyes watching the lone intruder. Gwalchavad felt mystified, as the sheer size of the city and its dead citizens was more than he had ever witnessed. To him the city was one gigantic grave, and he did not want to add himself to the collection of bones so he searched for a way out of the maddening surroundings. The battlefield had a cold malevolent air to it, the wind howling past the primarch from all directions, as if trying to express it’s own uncertainty at the picture before it. As Gwalchavad wandered the city, he felt eyes on his back, tingling the hairs on his neck. The moment night set in, the fog intensified and from the ruins ancient forms emerged, approaching the primarch. Red eyes flared through the mist. Following his instincts Gwalchavad drew his weapons and attacked, smashing the unfamiliar constructs made from materials he had never encountered. It seemed truly otherworldly, the material was very resilient to the primarchs blows and with every construct destroyed, new ones appeared and those that were smashed seconds before would reassemble themselves. Gwalchavad roared in wild anger as he attacked anew, he fought for hours and the fearsome clash didn't end until the the first rays of the rising sun lifted the fog and the unknown constructs retreated into the ruins. Every following night the scene repeated. As the sun sunk, and the mist thickened, the constructs returned and Gwalchavad met them head on in furious combat. But with every day that passed, the night held more and more onstructs ready for the young primarch. The nightly fights drew heavy on Gwalchavad and he realized, that he can’t go on much longer and soon the constructs will overwhelm him. His deep anger and fury long vanished, he made a choice for himself. Tired of fighting he prepared himself for the end. The endless fighting only pronounced the inevitable. He remembered the lessons of meditation and brought himself to accept his fate, and when the night finally approached, the primarch laid his blades aside and waited for the killing blow. But it never came. When he looked around himself he only saw the constructs watching him with red eyes from afar, but none made any attempts to attack him. It was only then that he realized that all the nights before, it was always him attacking first and that in the countless weeks he lived through this neverending nightmare, the constructs only reacted to his attacks. Free from the burden to fight, Gwalcahvad felt at peace. A feeling at first unknown to the young primarch but soon welcomed as a much needed companion. The following months Gwalchavad investigated more and more of the lost city and was able to retrieve several tomes of knowledge. At first he was not able to comprehend them as they were written in a language few humans were ever able to speak. As the days passed, he taught himself how to read the ancient tomes and mastered the language of old. In those ancient rites, Gwalchavad found answers that forever altered his perceptions of Caerbannog, and the universe as a whole. He learned that he stood on sacred ground and that the island was called Avelorn, a place where no violent behavior was permitted and the constructs served as wardens to ensure peace in this sacred place. He learned that the original inhabitants of Caerbannog came to this planet to seek a new path for themselves, fleeing the corruption which befell their race. But soon the corruption found its way into their hearts once more and thereafter war after war was waged against each other much like the humans who now settled on this planet. Their arrogance was limitless and only amplified by their knowledge of destruction. Weapons of mass destruction were created and after centuries of constant war, the spiral of violence flew out of control. With the weapons created by the ancients, the planet’s surface was torn apart apart and the ancient civilization came to an end. Those who withstood the corruption had created Avelorn, a city hidden in the mist. But as the ruins suggested, they too were destroyed along with their brethren. The ruins were a mere glimpse of the true power the ancients inherited and with Gwalchavad's previous experience of war they were a cruel warning to him that violence would only lead to more violence and eventually obliteration. Gwalchavad spent his days meditating and studying every bit of knowledge he could obtain. Like a sponge he sucked up all information and called into question the way he lived before. He realized that he was little more than a weapon used by his mother to feed her ambition. His past victories turned now to ash in his mouth and he was ashamed by all the atrocities he committed in the name of his mother and worse that he enjoyed it. In front of his mind’s eye he could see every man, women and child he had killed, seeing the shock in their eyes as life bled out of them. Gwalchavad wept bitter tears and found humanity in himself. He swore to himself, that he would no longer be a tool of war. Gwalchavad spent several more years in exile before he was finally found. Although the odds were slim, the Queen never stopped searching for her son. His loss meant a heavy blow to the queen's campaign of conquest as her opponents resisted attacks and managed to regain land in return. Everywhere riots broke out against the terror regime and the Queen of Boletaria stood with her back to the wall. So when message arrived that the prized weapon was retrieved, the Queen rejoiced and a celebration in front of the people was arranged to show them their combined power. However, the man that arrived was a different man and when Gwalchavad was brought before his queen, he confronted her with his newfound views, declaring that he would not serve as weapon anymore. The warmth left the face of the queen and her smile changed to a frown. Furious, she ordered her son to be restrained in chains. She responded to his views with her own and that the only peace Caerbannog would ever have would be achieved through fear of her rule. Anybody who opposed her would suffer pain, along with their relatives suffering the same pain. So that as long as people remembered that pain, nobody would dare rise up against her and defy her peace. Looking disappointingly at Gwalchavad, the Queen ordered her guards to kill her son. Gwalchavad accepted his fate, but the crowd witnessing the whole scene did not and they left their places to stand in and fight for their peace. When the Royal Knights drew their swords and attacked the people, Gwalchavad made his choice. He would not be a tool of war, but he would give the people of Caerbannog real peace and freedom. And so he broke out from the chains and met the Royal Knights with nothing more than his bare hands. He fought for the Fate of Caerbannogs people and the people fought along with him. Together they managed to overpower the guards and confront the mad queen. Now alone the Queen begged for mercy which Gwalchavad was willing to grant for her. However it was only a foul trick, shrieking out the Queen drew a knife and swung at Gwalchavads throat but the reactions of a primarch greatly outstripped a mere mortal and she only managed to hit the fastening of his mask. When their eyes met, the time seemed to freeze as Luiseach’s soul was claimed by her son, leaving only an empty husk behind that dropped to the floor. The people of Boletaria elected Gwalchavad as their leader and from there on the primarch erased the name of his mother from history and reformed the authoritarian state she and her corrupt advisors had established. He gave the people of Caerbannog true peace. The movement spread across the planet and the people rejoiced at the changing of their fate, believing Gwalchavad's return as the ray of light they had been praying for for. Soon they spoke of him as the 'Avatar of Light', sent by the heavens to free them of the darkness. Peace had quickly reached the remaining nations as the people finally freed themselves from the cycle of conflict. Weapons only capable of killing were tossed aside and under Gwalchavad's guidance the people finally found peace. Only in traditional ritual dances and ceremonies would weapons be allowed as Gwalchavad established a form of visual storytelling to remind the people about the atrocities committed by the rulers of old and what decades of war had done to the people of Caerbannog. When he considered his work done, Gwalchavad put down the mantle of leadership and installed a council of wise men and women, representatives of the countries of old, giving his power back to the people of Caerbannog. They would work together for Caerbannog's prosperous future. Gwalchavad retreated to Avelorn, the remote island hidden in the mist, where he had conquered his vicious nature and pursued further enlightenment. Every leader-to-be made a pilgrimage to Gwalchavad's sanctuary in order to study the ancient histories of Caerbannog and the wars that had nearly consumed it in ages long past to prevent anything like this from happen again. Gwalchavad himself became a legend and the people told the story of the Avatar of Light who had freed them from the darkness of war. 'The Emperor Arrives' Several decades after Gwalchavad had retreated to his quiet exile, the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade arrived on Caerbannog. The strangers were welcomed with open arms by Caerbannogs open-minded population. When the Emperor heard the legends of the so called 'Avatar of Light', he knew that one of his sons must have landed on this world. He made his way to Gwalchavad, accompanied by Icarion Stormborn, primarch of the Ist Legion and Ixiptatlan, primarch of the XIIIth. 'Reunion' When first marines appear on Caerbannog they were greeted with kindness by the people. They were invited to visit Granseal, one of their main city states/island of Caerbannog. They were welcome and listen to the lore of the people. One legends tell of a great darkness accompanied by the Avatar of Darkness to which the skies of Caerbannog succumbed and they tell of the Avatar of Light, who freed them of the darkness, and gave power back to the people. The Space Marines recognize this so-called 'Avatar of Light' as one of the lost sons of the Emperor, so they send word to Him. So when the Emperor arrived, accompanied by two of his sons (Icarion and Ixiptatlan) they found the location of the mythical island of Avalon. Well to speed things up. They find a lonely figure meditating. The figure wears a mask. The Emperor introduces themselves and tells the figure He is His father and wants Gwal to join him. Gwal responds that the last man who he called 'father' used him to slaughter innocent people. So how can he be sure that the Emperor wouldn't do the same so he has to refuse the offer. Ixiptatlan (who suffers from a personality disorder is outraged) and attacks Gwal who does nothing to prevent it. Ixiptatlan rips the mask from bis face, letting the pariah run rampant. Icarion cries out in pain. The Emperor realises what is going on and shouts not to look him in the eyes and rushes between Gwal and Icarion, blocking his line of sight. Although he is in great pain. Only Ixiptatlan is unaffected and knocks Gwal out. When he looks at Ixiptatlan asking in wonder, "How?" (the reason is that Ixiptatlan changes his persona very quickly, and the power of Ggwal can't influence him.) Icarion and the Emperor who looked directly in his face have great pain and if not for the Emperor, Icarion's soul would have been sucked out. When Gwal awakes he has his mask on him and the Empeor sits in front of him. The Emperor tells him again of His plans to unite humanity and bring peace to every human being. This time Gwal listens and he changes his mind because he saw how the Emperor protected Icarion, like a real father would do, and he saw the kindness in His eyes. 'The Avatar of Light and the Aztec' On their way to Terra, Gwal is tutored by Socraes, who is angry at the Emperor to get stuck on such a useless duty, but soon a friendship blossoms and the roles got interchanged. 'Family Matters' Gwalchavad is introduced to some of his brothers. 'The Wait is Over' Gwalchavad is introduced to the Apostles of War and reorganizes them. 'First Blood' On their first mission the Wardens of Light come to aid the Drowned against an unknown threat which reveals itself as Mechanicum Abyssii. After some struggles and bloodshed, a solution is found and the Abyssii are introduced into the Imperium. And the wardens have won in the Abyssii a strong ally. 'The Impure Prince, the Wolf, the Diplomat & the Peacekeeper' Sorrowsworn Morro, the Primarch of the Drowned Legion argues with Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves Legion. As the fight escalates, Alexandros and Gwalchavad are there to separate their fighting brothers. However, when Sorrowsworn Morro in an act of blind rage tries to kill his Brother, Gwalchavad is the first to react and has no other choice and cuts Morros Swordarm off to save his wolven Brother. 'Day of Revelation' Wardens first fleet meet with the Eagle Warriors for a joint venture. Wardens join onboard Gwal is accompanied by the Scorpion, Arngrim Valten, maybe another named char and a squad of sith. Gwal and Socraes go into Socraes' private chambers and share tea together, bodyguards are led elsewhere (maybe into a lodge meeting). After small talk, Socraes discuss more important matters. News from Icarion's treason. Socraes makes clear that he joins Icarion. Gwal can't move. He was poisoned by Socraes. Then he injects him quarith drugs technology whatsoever to completely paralyze him. Arngrim is curious. His hair on the neck trying to say something. He feels that something is not right. Looks around. Talks to the guy next to him. Sees that the guy is nervous. Asks if something is wrong. Scorpion tells him to back down and leave the guy alone. Arngrim sees sweat on the brow of the surrounding Eagles and that they hold their weapons tight. He sees a guy communicating and his weapon preparing. Suddenly Arngrim Drwas agony (his axe) and kills all men in the room. Scorpion shouts what is wrong with him. Scorpion as honour-bound as he is, didn't get the situation. Arngrim explains and shows the evidence ( which we should make up). Communicating is blocked, can't reach Gwal. Gwal is hanging from the ceiling, naked, only his mask on. Socraes tells him his plan to destroy the wards with the help of Gwal's Wardens. That Gwal should look for himself. Apothecaries enter. They have torment instruments and a lot of injections. Window opens and you can see the fleet of the Wardens. Alex communicates with the bridge bellowing orders. The ships take aim for the Wardens' flagship. Alex switches to warpsight. Some form of ritual. Connecting to the warp gods. Touching the powers. At the same time fire opens, destroying the wardens fleet. Alex collects the power of souls. Sacrifice is accepted. So much power to control. He is infused. He directs the thoughts to the Throne Room sees the Emperor. Emperor sees him. They talk. Socraes has the power of the gods and the power of the sacrifice, the more loyalist die, the stronger he gets. He obliterates the barriers on Terra, ripping through realspace. Trying to kill the Emperor in the process but he can't. But it is enough to pin him to the Golden Throne. Gwal cries out. He is helpless. Alex is furious that he wasn't able to kill the Emperor. His fury is directed to Gwal. He beats him. Takes a knife. Cuts him. Torments him. Injecting things which speeds up the process. Things which work also psychological. Nanorobots who attack the brain. He cuts off huge junks of flesh. Eagles enter to report that the bodyguard fled. Alex makes a comment and orders the apothecaries to not stop until Gwal is broken. Apothecaries start to work you hear Gwals cries of agony. (maybe Alex is on the bridge the whole time and others torment Gwal so that they aren't in the same room but i found it better to have Alex torment Gwal) The Wardems work themselves through the ship. Getting input what happened. They see their flight engaging in combat and losing. They fight off different eagles unit. They might split ( if we have another named char here, scorpion and Arngrim have to be together) Socraes finds the other group and murders them. But group Scorpion and Arngrim find finally their way to their Primarch, but what they see shocks them. Gwal heavily injured. Sinews cut, under drugs, big parts of skin cut out, helpless. Over the destruction of their sire Arngrim reacts as the first and runs amok. Killing every last of the apothecaries in the most brutal manner possible. They take their naked father of the ceiling and carry him. They are heading to the shipyard, trying to escape, fend off various Eagles, leaving a trail of blood. As they draw close to the shipyard, they see a great number advancing ti their position. Arngrim stays back. Scorpion wants to stay there too. Arngrim declines, pushing him through a door, giving him agony (his axe) because he don't want to leave it in the hands of the Eagles. Scorpion argues but is hindered by other sith. They urge him forward. Some stay with Arngrim, some go with Scorpion. - They seal the door, destroying the electronics, Arngrim draws his sword, a good sword, but compared to agony it is a stranger in his hands. They meet the enemies. Big battle ensues. At last every Eagle is death. Arngrim still alive bleeds from countless wounds. Socraes appear. Arngrim's spirit lifts, ecstatic to face such a splendid foe. They battle but Arngrim's ribs are shattered by a punch from Socraes fist. Arngrim fights on, is able to sink his blade into Socraes' flesh. Socraes admits his strength and that he has underestimated him. A devastating counter-attsck, breaking all of Arngrims bones. Arngrim raises agai, barely able to stand. He blocks two thrusts from Socraes' spear but can't escape the third. The spear crushing his lungs. He his spitting out his own blood. Socraes draws the impaled Astartes close, monologuing something about his superiority. Arngrim laughs, drawing a melta-bomb. Says, "Vae victis.." and the bomb explodes. Socraes' arm and half of his face are torn off. But it doesn't seem to hurt him much (Chaos influence already to big.) Arngrim the blademaster is dead but he bought Scorpion enough time to board a ship and flee with their Primarch. Communication is repaired and he sees the Wardens' ship that their Primarch is hurt and that they need protection. Wardens ship try to block of the followers. Here the flagship is destroyed( maybe it is destroyed earlier, we have a text somewhere in the botl about that.) Gwal murmurs in delirium that he failed. That he wished to to fight his brothers. It is his fault. No fight. No fight no fig..... In the absence of their Primarch, the Lords of the Legion are torn between acting and attacking the insurrectionists and those who claim, that the last orders of their Primarch meant, that they have to stay out of the conflict. Finally the number of those who want to stay out of the conflict over tops those who want to take action and the circle decides to follow the wishes and the wardens stay neutral even as they had taken heavy losses. Although the others accept the decision, over time, this will lead to a split in the legion, not even their father will be able to fix. 'A Memory of Light' - After the wardens return to Caerbannog they send a diatress call having all wardens fleets return. - Gwal is badly hurt physically and mentally by the quarith drugs and torture Ixiptatlan has done to him. The wardens, whose leader is tgerefore absent argue what to do. There arw the ones like scorpion who want to take action and the ones who want to follow the wishes of their primarch not to fight their brethren. That revenge is bad etc. - Refugee ships arrive on caerbannog and tge wardens try to at least pacify a corridor so that tge ships can travel safely if they reach the corridor. But often those ships are target to raiders lile the jackals but i can see too that imperial troops stop them too to take the men and let them fight in the militia. Well the wardens who often see ghost ships with only dead refugees on board question the ways. -> of those some could become knights errant. - Captain Kylan who found one ship too much being raided by the jackals gathers his men and hunt down the jackals who were responsible ( about blood crusade time i assume) . he kills them to the last but loses quite alot of men in the attempt. When he returns the circle of wardens ( or the table like in arthurian legend) has to trial over him. An argue between those who want an active role and those who stay neutral occurs over the fate of kylan and his men. It is then that Gwal shows up for the first time in recent years. Still not fully healed ( atm i am argueing with myself if i should give him a few bionic implants) - he sees that even among his legion a twist has come and makes a salomonian decission. Je sents kylan and his men to tge nightguard. Some of the activist like scorpion join them. - while on duty at the nightguard they see the whole scale of treachery and when they return they try to convince gwal to take action, but he can't bring himself to fight against his brotgers. Even if they backstabbed him, they are his brothers. It is not his fight. -scorpiom rallies then about half of the wardens and leave for terra (about 25th year of the insurrection). - with his men gone, gwal rethinks all. Meditates on the problem etc and comes to a decission, that he can't stay neutral. The war has reached his legion as well even if he don't want to admit it. So he heads with the rest of the wardens for terra, reaching it just in time of the insurrection. 'Siege of Terra' The wardens arrive at the last minite and were able to push through the blockade of the insurrectionists and land on terra, reuniting with their fellow wardens amd gwal finally reunites with his brothers. And they are glad about this extra help. During the siege the wardens hold the eternity gate and gwal battles.down a deamon prince.Socraes. although Socraes is about to win he underestimated gwal amd falls for a trick. As Socraes is now.one soul, the pariah powers of gwalchavad.work on him and the daemon primarch is banned. But the.victory comes.at a high price. Gwals is heavily injired and his eyes were bleeding after banning the once proud primarch into the abyss of the warp. Too much emergy was needed amd to much force used to bann him. Nearly blind and rid of his powers, gwal heads for the eternity gate to help to hold the door. - Hectarion and Gwal face the daemon primarch of khorne, their former brother raktra. Only with their joint effort are they able to emerge victorious and drive the traitors first from the door and them from the planet. But gwal didn't take action anymore as both fights took a heavy toll and he lost Conscious ness. But scorpion and guaire amalasan hunt the traitors and secure segmentum solor. 'Those Who Remain' Gwal is devastated over the deaths of his brothers and can't forgive himself because he believes that if he had taken an active role earlier he could have averted the deaths of alex and the crippling of the emperor. So he vanishes to find a cure for the emperor. But not before he disbands the wardens because all his dreams.of peace lie shattered before him and he can't heal his broken legion. So a new start.in smaller warbands is the only solution to him. Notable Campaigns The Liberation of Yamatar (879. M30) The main strength of the Apostles of War were among of the huge armada drawn up to invade the Mothran Abyss, under the overall command of Pionus Santor. It is noted that they fought alongside the Eagle Warriors during several battles on this campaign. The Third Rangdan Xenocide The Apostles of War fought many brutal engagements in this campaign, paying a high price but earning much honour. However, it would serve to inflame their pride to dangerous levels, leading them into hubris. The Catastrophe on Batu Consumed with pride, Guaire Amalasen underestimated the power of Waaagh! Gorgruntar and the cunning of its Warboss. The result was a devastating defeat for the Apostles of War, with the loss of a third of their fighting strength. The Legion only saved by the deeds of Dumah de Leon and Arngrim Valten, who respectively led a breakout and rearguard action which enabled the XIIth to withdraw from the field. However, the failed decapitation strike drew the disparate Ork hordes in the region together, and led to a bloody war on Imperial territory. Waaagh! Gitstompa (M30) The Crimson Lions fought alongside the Wardens of Light to destroy this Ork Waaagh! in a gruelling melee battle. The[[The Koloss Syntheticide| Koloss Syntheticide]]' (993-999. M30)' The majority of the XIIth Legion fought under the Emperor's direction against the Abominable Intelligence known as Koloss. 'Legion Home World' Caerbannong, located in the far south west, only a blink away from the galactic void, is unique under the worlds of the Imperium. Some are unsure if you can call this a planet at all. This is because Caerbannog has many Islands and continents drifting in the sky above a sea of clouds. Which hide the core and the island Avalon. Ever moving the Continents fly over the sky in a solid pattern as if it was arranged this way. Never did a landmass collide with another. Although the planet is twelve times as big as the earth, the gravitation is slightly less strong. This is due to the strange kind the planet is. The core is consists of an ultra-hard black metal which produces enough gravitation to keep the continents in its orbit but not enough to draw them closer. It is speculated by many researchers of the imperial academies, that this planet is an artificial construct and all over the place you can find remnants of xenos origin. According to the local legends, the place was inhabited by wandering Aeldari. It is speculated that the primarch of the legion had some closer ties to them, but further information is not accessible. But the architecture of the building points to another solution. 'Culture' Caerbannog developed a culture of wisdom, spirituality and peace. Although wars were fought in the oast, between the disappearance of the Avatar of Light and the Arrival of the Emperor, wars were a relic of the past. The famous Tonfas and Dual Sabres were used only on the hunt and in shamanistic rituals, praising the sun, were Caerbannogi fell into a state of trance and danced with the blade. Wielder and Blade become one, one mind, one body. 'Fortress-Monastery' Tower of Light (Avalon on Caerbannog) 'Legion Beliefs' 'Legion Gene-Seed' 'Pariah-Legion' The gene-seed of the Wardens of Light is very stable, exhibiting no serious genetic mutations or idiosyncrasies. Despite their reputation as a Space Marine Legion that contains legionaries that exhibit the formidable Pariah Gene, not all Wardens are Untouchables. As there are two sources of genetic material of Gwalchavad to draw upon, depending the which source it is derived from, will determine whether or not a Warden will be gifted with the Pariah gene. The gene-seed derived from the Primarch and stored in the gene-vaults on Terra is unadulterated and with a passive Pariah gene embedded deep within. The other source was derived from Gwalchavad himself - harvested from the Primarch after he was reunited with his Legion. When the infant Primarchs were spirited away from the Emperor's lab on Terra and scattered throughout the galaxy, the gestation pod of the XIIth Primarch was severely damaged as the Neverborn creatures of the Immaterium feasted on his soul. The Pariah gene that resided within Gwalchavad was meant to be insurance for the Emperor, should the powers of the warp ever turn against him. As the foul creatures tormented the infant primarch, his innate abilities activated and his gestation capsule was thrown out of the warp, centuries before he was even born. So, what does this mean for his sons? Well, every neophyte starts the same, receiving their progenoids from Terra's gene-vaults, but when they are about to have the black carapace inserted, they must make a difficult decision and choose: either accept the awakened gene-seed and become a Pariah, or take gene-stock from Terra and become a moral Astartes. However, those who choose to accept the awakened form, do so with one caveat - though they will become a Pariah like their gene-sire, they will never attain the level of power achieved by those who accept the Terran gene-seed. Those who accept the awakened gene-seed derived directly from their gene-father will only achieve the level of a Pariah tertius, and just like a vaccination, the vaccine (in this case, the awakened gene-seed) gives the neophyte some form of protection. But in order to grow stronger and achieve the level of power of the legion's mightiest Pariahs, like a vaccine, one must defeat the illness with their own merits. The same goes for the Pariah powers of the Wardens of Light. The strongest Pariahs are those whose abilities are awakened by themselves - Mikhail Sasori and Guaire Amalasan - but in order to awaken their abilities, one must die. After they are brought back to life and fully awakens his Pariah trait, he has to choose which branch he will follow - Coimheadair or Sitheadair. Rumors has it, that the Luth look out for promising candidates and try to kill them. Even abduction and torment are whispered. 'Legion Organisation and Structure' 'Legion Formations' 'Legion Rank Structure' 'Legion Command Hierarchy' 'Specialist Formations' *'Sitheadair' - Among the ranks of the Wardens of Light are no finer warriors than those of the Brotherhood of the Sitheadair. Trained close combat, they unleash a storm of blades upon their enemies. When the Sitheadair charge into the enemy, they are like a storm, cutting through the ranks of their enemies. As they storm forward, they meditate and see only the enemy in front of them, focusing totally on the moment they meet their foe and then unleashing a barrage of swift strikes. In order to become a Sitheadair, a Warden has to endure unspeakable pain and torment. Some die on their way to unlock their full potential. Rumours have it about a dark side in the Sitheadair Brotherhood. Worthy aspirants are killed or limbs are intentionally amputated, leaving the aspirant in unspeakable pain in order to awaken their true powers. Only Pariahs who have mastered the full control of their powers are allowed into the ranks of the Sitheadair. Collectively, the Sitheadair are able to have negative effects on enemy psykers and are able to negate their powers. The Sitheadair are close combat specialists unmatched in the ranks of the Wardens of Light. In battle they switch between various battle forms to adapt to their enemies. Either they counter them from a perfect defence or they crush them with a storm of multiple attacks thrown at their foes. *'Coimheadair' - The Coimheadair are one of the greatest mysteries of the XIIth Legion. They use arcane technology never seen somewhere else to enhance their Pariah powers and protect their fellow brothers from the powers of the warp. Coimheadair can only be chosen from those who have activated their Parian gene by themselves. They are a brotherhood of Untouchables dedicated to protecting those brother of the Legion who do not have the abilities and would be defenceless against the ruinous powers of the warp. Coimheadair are so well-trained to defend themselves with their weapons that even the most experienced enemy champion will have problems to find a way to pierce their defence. In battle their defensive skills are absolute. *'Storm Blast' - The Storm Blast are the XIIth Legion's superlative marksmen, trained to make impossible shots which will have the enemy think twice if they want to be a target again, if they were once hit. *'Saigheadair' - Trained to be highly mobile in combat and fire at will at the enemies of the Imperium, the Saigheadair of the Wardens of Light Legion developed a special battle meditation for them, which allows them to become one with their weapons and the battlefield, so that they are able to move while shooting and suddenly change their direction to attack the enemy but keep themselves always out of close combat. 'Non-Astartes Formations' 'War Disposition' 'Legion Combat Doctrine' 'Legion Wargear' 'Pariah Mask' The Pariah Mask is the secret to the Wardens' ability to focus and control their pariah abilities. Thanks to them, they don't affect their allies and can focus on their targets. Where for example the Grave Stalkers are the Claymore, chopping everything to pieces in their way, regardless of friend or foe, the Wardens of Light resemble more a Katana - fast and deadly - but able to cut with surgical precision, cutting only what they want. After studying the ancient mask which enabled Gwalchavad to contain his pariah powers, the Mechanicum Abyssii was able to mass-produce the mask for the Wardens. The exact process is unknown, but according to sources in the Mechanicum Abyssii, miniature focus crystals are embedded inside the mask, creating a special pattern, which allows the Warden to direct their inner void and focus their powers where they want. Nowadays there exists different shapes and patterns for the masks. Because of this, the Wardens are not shunned like their other pariah brothers, nonetheless, the masks give some sort of discomfort. But that is a regular human feeling, because you can't be sure, if the Mask will malfunction and no one wants to share the same room with an uncontained Pariah. But If enemies happen to utilize many psykers, then it is a safe bet, that the Wardens of Light will be called upon to neutralize that danger. 'Dual Sabre' 'Agony' 'Vehicles' *'Illuminator Heavy Speeder' *'Caledwyich' 'Notable Wardens of Light' *Gwalchavad, Primarch *Mikhal Sasori 'the Scorpion', leader of the Grey Wardens during the Insurrection *Arngrim Valten 'the Legend' and one of the deadliest melee combatants in the entire Imperium *Guaire Amalasan *Cervantes de Leon *Cairdrun Lemorik - the first Warden of Light to choose a side in the Insurrection, Lemorik rescued the Void Eagles garrison on Thelum from a Warriors of Peace invasion force, and his return to Caerbannog sparked the Grey Warden's breakaway *Meuren Cunegalas - commander of the Twentieth Chapter and a vaunted artillerist, Cunegalas would defy his Primarch in following Sasori into the Insurrection, becoming a key leader of the Grey Wardens *Tunabar Dinalen - Chapter Master of the Fifth Chapter, who obeyed the edict of neutrality but consistently questioned and railed against it. *Captain Kylan *Llwch Llenlleawg *Kelentil *Bors *Nalesee'an Adjahar *Gwalcmai *Gilgalad *Griffith Gwalior *Gael Monoyar *Logaine Valjean *Ser Agravaine *Bedwyr *Moragh 'Legion Fleet' * Caledwylch (Gloriana-class Battleship)' - Gwalchavad's flagship * '''''Peacebringer * Torchbearer * Hwarang * Ray of Light * Windbreaker * Gallant (Battlecruiser) '''- Lemorik's flagship * ''Nosonsêr'' * ''Sêrgolau'' * ''Sword of Illumination'' * ''Maighdean'' * ''Sunhawk'' * ''Wawr'' * ''Heddwch'' * ''Brightscion'' * ''Avalon'' * ''Emperor's Hope'' * ''Destiny'' '''Legion Relics 'Legion Appearance' 'Legion Colours' 'Legion Badge' 'Notable Quotes' 'By the Wardens of Light' 'About the Wardens of Light' Gallery AoW Armorial.png|Apostles of War armorial with Legion iconography AoW Legionary.png|A XIIth Legion ('Apostles of War') Veteran Legionary during the Great Crusade Wardens of Light Color.png|Legion iconography of the Wardens of Light Warden of Light.png|Wardens of Light Legion colour scheme WoL Legionary_Breacher.png|Wardens of Light Breacher Siege Assault Legionary armed with a pair of power tonfas Category:Legions Category:Loyalist